


Potential

by mikkimouse



Series: New Computer Prompts [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galaxy Garrison, M/M, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 08:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15190802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimouse/pseuds/mikkimouse
Summary: “Who hurt you?” Shiro asked.Keith shrugged away from him and ducked his head, like he could somehow hide the black eye he was sporting. “Nobody.”“Nobody looks like he’s got a mean right hook,” Shiro said dryly.





	Potential

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt “Who hurt you?” and originally posted to Tumblr [here.](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/post/174099121125/angst-21-shirokeith)

“Who hurt you?” Shiro asked.  


Keith shrugged away from him and ducked his head, like he could somehow hide the black eye he was sporting. “Nobody.”  


“Nobody looks like he’s got a mean right hook,” Shiro said dryly.  


That earned him another shrug. “Mine’s better.”  


Shiro took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. “If Iverson catches you fighting again—”  


“I know, I know, I’ll get expelled.” Keith rolled his eyes and glared at Shiro, his purple eyes sharp. “I didn’t start it.”  


“I know you didn’t.” That, at least, Shiro could be absolutely sure of: Keith didn’t start fights, but he finished them. Decisively. “But Iverson doesn’t care.”  


“Why the hell do _you?”_ Keith demanded.  


Shiro blinked at the venom in his voice. “Why do I care that you didn’t start the fight?”  


“Why do you care about me at _all?_ ” Keith snapped. “Nobody else does.”  


Shiro could only stare at him, at the anger and confusion and hurt in Keith’s gaze. He wanted to say that wasn’t true, but the words wouldn’t come. With the way Keith was looking at him, he, at least, believed it was true. And that was…really, really sad.  


“You’re the best pilot in the Garrison,” Shiro said.  


Keith scoffed.  


“I mean it,” Shiro said. “You’re better than I am. You’re _brilliant_. You have an instinct for flying like I’ve never seen. And I just know you could go farther than anyone else here.”

The anger and hurt on Keith’s face faded, leaving only the confusion behind.  


Shiro rested his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You’re already amazing, but you have the potential to be so much more. You can do this. I know it.”  


“You really believe that,” Keith said.

Shiro nodded. “Yeah. I do. You just need to pretend to follow the rules occasionally.”

Keith’s mouth twitched up in a smile before he dropped it back into a thin line. “Yeah, okay.”  


It wasn’t as enthusiastic as he’d hoped for, but it was better than nothing. “If you give me names of any other cadets hassling you, I can make sure they’re punished,” Shiro said.  


Keith’s eyes narrowed again. “I can take care of myself.”  


“I know that, but you shouldn’t have to. Especially not when it comes to bullying. Let me watch your back every once in awhile, okay?”

“…Okay,” Keith finally said.  


Well, that would work for now. Hopefully Keith would hold to that promise. Shiro sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You want to go grab something to eat?”  


He expected Keith to decline, but instead, Keith nodded. “Yeah. Food sounds good.” 

“All right.” Shiro smiled and squeezed Keith’s shoulder. “Let’s get down to the mess hall before they run out of mac and cheese.”  


Keith’s only response was a return smile, so small and fleeting that Shiro would’ve missed it entirely if he hadn’t been watching.  


Still, the sight of it gave him the same feeling he’d had the first time he’d broken a record on the simulator, like he’d accomplished something very few people could actually do.

Shiro felt like he was flying, and he didn’t come down the entire way to the mess hall.  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mad_madam_m)!


End file.
